How far the Koreans have come
We get behind the wheel of the first model Kia sold here: the Pride
IT didn’t take us long to stall the Kia Pride. We thought we did the right thing, even that classic ‘gearlever wiggle’ to make sure it was in neutral. The trouble is, there’s so much ‘slop’ in the gearshift action of this near-immaculate example on Kia’s heritage fleet, that what we thought was neutral was actually first gear, and the car lurched forward in an embarrassing learner driver-like jump as we released the clutch. Oops!
This is a Kia from a bygone age, when the brand began establishing itself in European markets. Indeed, it was effectively a rebadged and ageing Mazda 121, but one that proved just how far Kia needed to come if it was to challenge the class best. Driving one today after 31 years of automotive development means that it undoubtedly has its charms – and you really appreciate just how great visibility is in a car of this age – but against its contemporaries, the Pride lagged.
The ride is fairly forgiving, but the steering is slow at speed, and the unassisted rack is very heavy when parking. The engine is equally hard work – even if it does have plenty of character compared with ultra-refined modern units. There are other qualities in modern vehicles we take for granted that are lacking here, too; even the ventilation struggles to blow much air through the cabin.
Bear in mind that the Pride was released in 1991 – the same year as the Peugeot 106 and a year after the first Renault Clio – and you really start to appreciate just how dated it must have felt at the time. In terms of ride and handling, the Peugeot was far ahead, with a sweet gearshift and steering which, despite being unassisted, was still much lighter in town. In terms of comfort, composure, space and style, both inside and out, the Clio must have felt years newer.
However, Kia’s strategy was different then. The Pride was pitched as a budget alternative to the established supermini makers, and this was reflected in the price. In March 1991, the Pride 1.3 LX five-door pictured here would set you back £6,799; the equivalent Clio cost £7,750.
Sales for the brand got off to a steady start, with 1,786 Kias finding UK buyers in that first year. Compare that with 2019 – its best to date – when Kia sold 97,323 units in the UK. Step into its newest, most advanced model, and it’s staggering to think that the EV6 hails from the same brand that brought us this flawed – albeit lovable – supermini.